California law aims to protect chatbot users after teen suicide
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In California, Governor Gavin Newsom signed “Adam’s Law” on Thursday, responding to the 2025 suicide of a teenager named Adam Raine who had interacted with ChatGPT.
The law requires AI chatbot companies to protect users, particularly children, from harmful content and manipulative interactions. Companies will be held liable if they fail to take reasonable steps to prevent harm to users’ mental health, and must provide crisis support, age verification, and parental controls.
OpenAI initially lobbied to influence the bill, working with its authors to explain how AI models function and differentiate them from social media. Representatives from Anthropic, Google, Meta, and Amazon also participated in the negotiations. Anthropic successfully negotiated an exemption because it does not allow users under 18. This legislation marks a shift in OpenAI’s regulatory strategy. Previously, the company advocated for a national approach to AI regulation and opposed state-level laws, even funding efforts to block them.
Now, OpenAI supports a “patchwork” of state laws as a way to establish a de facto national standard in the absence of federal action. Adam Raine’s parents expressed hope that the law will save lives and prevent future harms.
